This week in Australian foreign affairs: Albanese travels to DC, meets with Biden, and opens new Australian Embassy; Albanese to travel to China next month; more support for Ukraine and civilians affected by conflict in Gaza; and more.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to Washington DC this week on the invitation of United States President Joe Biden. In a joint statement on 25 October, the leaders emphasised that their nations “are inseparably linked by our common democratic values and the three pillars of our alliance: defence, economic, and climate and clean energy cooperation.” They stated that they are “expanding our partnership into new domains to reflect the evolution of our relationship and the growing complexity of global and regional challenges”, with “a shared commitment to a peaceful, open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific” at its core. Albanese and Biden announced “the pursuit of new areas of cooperation on science and critical and emerging technologies so that we can build an ‘Innovation Alliance’”, which will feature “initiatives [that] will augment and complement our robust economic cooperation and trade; our foundational security and defence ties; our newly inaugurated cooperation on climate, critical minerals, and clean energy; and our enduring people-to-people connections.” They also “condemn[ed] in the strongest possible terms Hamas’ heinous terrorist attack on Israel” and noted that “our countries will support Israel as it defends itself and its people [and] affirm[ed] Israel’s right to defend itself”. Moreover, the leaders stated that they were “concerned at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and call[ed] on all actors to ensure the provision of humanitarian supplies to populations in need.”

Albanese opened the new Australian Embassy in Washington DC on 24 October, where he stated that “like the stars above us, the Australia-US alliance was born in darkness, during the Second World War – but it has lit our way ever since.” He also noted that “ours is a true friendship and true friendship is built on honesty – which means we have the strength and the freedom to tell each other what needs to be said.” Moreover, Albanese emphasised that “just as true friends draw strength from what they have in common, they take joy in each other’s differences. And we bridge the gaps with diplomacy, the true heart of foreign policy.” He continued, noting that “President Biden emphasised the importance of the US leading not just by the example of its power, but by the power of its example. Australia’s power occupies a different tier in the world, but we are guided by a similar spirit.”

On 22 October, Albanese announced that he will travel to China from 4 to 7 November. He will meet with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing. He will then travel to Shanghai, attending the China International Import Expo at the invitation of Premier Li. Albanese noted that “a stable relationship between Australia and China is in the interests of both countries” and that “trade between Australia and China, as well as strong community, cultural and business links has delivered significant benefits to both our countries.” The visit is the Prime Minister’s first to China, and will be the first by an Australian Prime Minister since 2016. It will also mark the 50^th anniversary of the first visit to China by an Australian Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, in 1973.

Albanese, alongside Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy issued a joint statement announcing the provision of a further $20 million package of military assistance to Ukraine. The Australian-developed equipment in the package includes “de-mining equipment, portable x-ray machines, a 3D metal printer, and counter drone systems”. The additional support brings Australia’s overall assistance to Ukraine to approximately $910 million, including “the provision of Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, heavy artillery, critical ammunition and contributions to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.” A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail aircraft has also deployed to Germany, “in support of multinational efforts helping protect a vital gateway of international humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine.” The Ministers emphasised that the aircraft “will not be involved in the conflict in Ukraine, and Australian Defence Force personnel and assets will not enter Ukraine during the deployment” and “will not operate inside Russian, Belarusian or Ukrainian airspace.”

On 26 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong announced that Australia will provide an additional $15 million in humanitarian assistance “for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank and across the region.” The funding “will be delivered through trusted partners to help address immediate and emerging needs including food, water, medicine and other essential services.” $6 million has been allocated to the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to provide life-saving assistance including food, water and medical care, $2 million to UNICEF for the provision of emergency water, sanitation and hygiene services, $2 million to UN agencies to preposition supplies and to support those who have been displaced by the conflict, and $2 million to UNFPA to provide urgent women’s health services. The remainder will be provided “to trusted partners to address emerging needs.” Wong noted that “Australia has consistently called for safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and safe passage for civilians from Gaza” and that “there has been access in recent days but nowhere near enough. Humanitarian pauses are essential to ensure this assistance and that of our partners flows into Gaza.”

Conroy travelled to the United States this week as head of Australia’s delegation to the Honolulu Leadership Dialogue. The Dialogue “brings together senior Australian and US defence officials, parliamentarians, security experts and industry leaders to discuss the complex operating environment across the Indo-Pacific.” While in Hawaii, Conroy also met with the senior leadership of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, “to discuss our shared geostrategic challenges as well as our plans to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, and Australia’s plan to manufacture missiles by 2025.”

Isabella Keith is a weekly columnist for Australian Outlook. She is also a Research Assistant, Sessional Academic, and Honours student in Law at the Australian National University, with a focus on international law. Isabella attended the AIIA #NextGen study tour to South Korea last year, and was also a delegate to the AIIA’s Australia-Korea-New Zealand and Australia-United States-Japan Policy Forums. She can be found on Twitter here.

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